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4:13 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

JetBlue Pilot Charged For Disruption Mid-Flight

Originally published on Fri March 30, 2012 11:14 am

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

We're learning more about yesterday's bizarre incident on-board JetBlue Flight 191 from New York to Las Vegas. That's the plane that diverted to Amarillo, Texas after the pilot left the cockpit mid-flight and went on a rant, screaming about Iraq and Israel.

Federal prosecutors today charged the pilot, Clayton Osbon, with interfering with a flight crew. And the court filing contains new details about what apparently went on during that flight.

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The Two-Way
4:11 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

Female Volleyball Players Can Cover Up For Olympics

Shorts and long-sleeved tops will be OK at the London Olympics' beach volleyball tournament.

That's what the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has decided: Women won't have to wear the bikinis and bodysuits that have been the norm at previous Olympics.

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The Two-Way
3:33 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

FBI Pulls Offensive Counterterrorism Training Materials

The FBI has completed a review of offensive training material and has purged 876 pages and 392 presentations, according to a briefing provided to lawmakers.

The office of Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, made the briefing public when it sent a letter addressed to Robert Mueller, the director of the FBI.

According to the letter (pdf), which is dated March 27, the FBI gave the senator an opportunity to review a "handful" of the material.

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Music News
3:20 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

From London, Rock Hall Inductees 'Looked To America'

Originally published on Wed March 28, 2012 9:01 pm

Today, Morning Edition begins a series of stories profiling the six new inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's a diverse bunch, including two acts that originated in 1960s London: The Small Faces and Donovan.

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It's All Politics
3:09 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

White House Aide To Skeptical Journalists: No Contingency Plan On Health Law

Credit Susan Walsh / AP
White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest in February 2012.

No matter how many times he said it Wednesday, the White House press corps just didn't seem to be buying deputy press secretary Josh Earnest's assertion that Obama administration officials weren't working on contingency plans just in case the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act.

They also weren't taking at face value Earnest's defense of Solicitor General Donald Verrilli's performance on behalf of the administration Tuesday which has been widely criticized as nervous, halting and all-around less-than-inspiring.

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Middle East
3:03 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

Still Wounded, Baghdad Hosts Arab Summit

Originally published on Wed March 28, 2012 3:03 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block. Here's another milestone for Iraq. For the first time in more than two decades, the Arab League is meeting in Baghdad. Little in the way of major policy is expected to come out of tomorrow's summit, but as NPR's Kelly McEvers reports, after years of violence and war, it's a marvel the gathering is happening at all.

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Monkey See
2:42 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

DVD Picks: 70 Years of 'Casablanca'

Credit Warner Home Video

Time now for a home viewing recommendation from NPR's movie critic, Bob Mondello. He's found himself swept up this week by the 70th Anniversary edition boxed set of Casablanca.

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Africa
2:21 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

For The Two Sudans, The Threat Of War Looms

Less than a year after they formally split, Sudan and South Sudan appear to be in danger of going to war.

Fighting spilled over the disputed border this week, scuttling a planned summit intended to resolve issues lingering from South Sudan's independence last July.

International diplomats are trying to get that summit back on track and deal with a humanitarian crisis that is looming in the region.

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Law
2:11 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

Trayvon's Father: We Don't Want 'An Eye For An Eye'

Credit Doriane Raiman / NPR
Tracy Martin says of his son, "We're not saying that Trayvon was perfect. But what we are saying is, he was our child. He was a good kid. And he didn't deserve death."

The death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed 17-year-old shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla., has sparked headlines around the country, along with many discussions about race, the law, and the media.

Martin was killed as he returned from a trip to a convenience store. The man who shot him, George Zimmerman, has not been arrested; he says he acted in self-defense.

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It's All Politics
2:10 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

Supreme Court Limits Damage Payments To Whistle-Blowers

Credit Mark Wilson / Reuters/Landov
Under Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, whistle-blowers like Linda Tripp (seen here in 1998) have few options in suing the government for damages.

Originally published on Fri March 30, 2012 11:14 am

The Supreme Court has dealt privacy advocates a huge setback. By a 5-3 majority, the court ruled that people who sue the government for invading their privacy can only recover out-of-pocket damages. And whistle-blower lawyers say that leaves victims who suffer emotional trouble and smeared reputations with few if any options.

Justice Samuel Alito and all four of his conservative colleagues turned back a challenge from a pilot named Stan Cooper. (Justice Elena Kagan did not participate in the case.)

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